Exposed
by KK Renee
Summary: Emma returns, but so does Charlotte. Will the secret be revealed? What happens when Dr. Denman is thrown in the mix? Complete.
1. Lost and Found

**Hey, ya'll (pardon my intentional country slang—I'm from West Virginia—welcome to my first-ever **_**H**__**2**__**O: Just add Water**_** FanFiction! So, please hang in there while I get the characters non-OOC (****O****ut ****o****f ****C****haracter). So, **_**please**_**, read AND review. Thank you! Enjoy!**

"Cleo, we had to come with you at—" Rikki checked the clock on her phone. "—two a.m. _just_ to see your boyfriend leave?"

"Yeah," Bella agreed, yawning. "Couldn't he have caught an earlier flight? Let's say, maybe six?"

"As in, the evening," Rikki added quickly.

"There wasn't a flight at that time," Cleo explained easily, wrapping her arm around Lewis's.

The foursome (Cleo, Lewis, Rikki, and Bella) headed towards the terminal where Lewis was to board his plane. There, they stopped. Lewis set his bags on the ground to free his arms. He wrapped them around Cleo's waist; Cleo wrapped hers around his neck. The couple stared into each other's eyes, ignoring the people around them. Lewis tilted his head forward to kiss Cleo. She rose up on her toes to meet him.

"I wish you didn't have to go back," Cleo whispered. She was breathing just a bit harder from the kiss.

"I wish I didn't have to go back, either," Lewis responded.

"But I'm not going to keep you from leaving." Tears started to prick Cleo's eyes. Just then, a voice over the loud speaker stated that Lewis's plane was starting to board. "It's time for you to go."

"Are you going to be okay?"

Cleo nodded and stepped away from Lewis. "Yeah," she said, sounding more like she was assuring herself rather than Lewis. She wiped tears from her eyes. "I'll be fine. I guess it's easier to see you go the second time."

"I love you, Cleo!" Lewis gathered his things and starting walking down the hall towards the plane.

"Lewis, wait!" He was halfway down the hall by then. She ran to him and kissed her super-smart boyfriend. "Call me, will you? Call me as soon as you land, okay?" Lewis started to walk again. "Lewis?" Cleo called. Lewis turned again, almost starting to feel slightly annoyed. "I love you." Lewis smiled and walked again. He disappeared around the corner before Cleo could say anything else. She walked back towards her friends.

"You are absolutely the _worst_ when it comes to goodbyes," said Rikki.

The three best friends waited at the airport until the plane left the airport. They watched it take off then retreat to the sky.

"C'mon, Cleo," said Bella. She put her arm around her friend's shoulders and turned her away from the window.

"I'm sorry," Cleo apologized. She sniffed. Instantly, her face brightened. "_Emma_!" She shrieked and raced across the room. Rikki and Bella shared a look of confusion.

"Emma?" Rikki asked. "She's not back from her vacation is she?" Bella shrugged, but pointed to where Cleo was hugging a tall blonde girl. "It _is_ Emma!"Rikki ran to join Emma and Cleo's hug. Bella followed slowly behind, unsure of what she should do. At last, when the reunited trio broke apart, Bella offered a hand to Emma. Emma extended one in return and the two shook hands.

"I'm Bella."

"Emma. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Why are you guys here?" Emma asked, turning back to her friends.

"Lewis got a scholarship for a university in the States," stated Cleo. "He just left, actually."

"Emma?" Mrs. Gilbert called. "I know you're excited to see your friends, but you can see them tomorrow, okay, dear? We need to get home. It's late."

"Okay, mum," said Emma.

"How about we meet tomorrow, twelve o'clock, at my house?" Emma offered.

"Sounds perfect," said Cleo.

Emma waved and followed her family out of the airport. Cleo, Rikki, and Bella went out another door to the parking lot, where Mr. Sertori was waiting in the car. He was half asleep when the girls climbed into the back seat.

"Dad," Cleo said loudly. "Dad! Wake up! We're back!"

Mr. Sertori woke with a start, startled at the sudden appearance of the girls. "Back already?" he said and yawned. He started the engine and drove towards his home. (Bella and Rikki were spending the night.)

_~ (The next day, twelve o'clock, Emma's house) ~_

The doorbell rang. Emma practically flew down the steps to answer the door. Her friends were waiting on the other side. Emma unlocked the door and opened it. Her two best friends, plus the girl she met at the airport (Was it Bella?), stepped inside. They marched up to the bedroom. The four got settled on the bed and began talking.

"So, meet any cute French boys?" Rikki asked.

"No," Emma responded. "I'm still with Ash!"

"Then what did you do?" Cleo asked.

"We visited Argentina, Morocco, Egypt, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, Spain, France, and basically everywhere. We saw the Great Wall of China—the view was _amazing_. I saw the Eiffel Tower and you could see for miles in all directions. It's beautiful, especially at night. There's too much for me to tell! I show you the pictures when I get them printed, okay? So what happened to you guys this year?"

Cleo sighed. "A _lot_."

"But this we can explain, unlike you," said Rikki.

"The JuiceNet café closed, but then Zane bought it and named it in Rikki's honor. Then we met Will and Bella. But then the café opened on a _full moon_. Will was at the Moon Pool—he's a free-diver—and the Moon Pool was acting weird—"

"Weird?" Emma interrupted. "Weird how?"

"Hang on, we'll get there," said Rikki. Then she continued the telling of the story. "He said that a waterfall covered the whole back wall and that it shot out bolts of energy and took his torch…" Rikki and Cleo finished the telling of the recent events.

"Where's the bathroom?" Bella asked.

"Down the hall, second door on the left," Emma responded automatically.

"Thanks."

Once Bella was out of earshot, Emma began talking. "Did she take my place?"

"Emma," Cleo said, shocked. "She didn't take your place."

"It looks like it! Where are your lockets, huh? What's with the crystals?" Cleo and Rikki shared equal looks of guilt now. "See?"

"Emma, Bella _did not_ take your place!" said Rikki. "Now drop it!"

Just then, Bella walked in the room, stopping Emma from her protests. "Who wants to race to the Moon Pool?" she asked.

**So, how did you like it? If you didn't, well, maybe you'll like it in a few more chapters. (In my opinion) it will get more interesting.**

**Coming up (this is sort of a preview for the rest of the story/the next chapter):**

_How will Emma and Bella get along? _

_What has Charlotte been doing this whole time?_

_Will the mermaid secret be revealed? _

**P.S. If anyone has a better name for this story other than exposed, let me know, at any point in the story. I'm not good at making up titles, but some people are, and I need those people! I'll even give you the summary of the story if needed.**


	2. Returned

**I have nothing else to do today, so I'll just keep writing and writing. I wonder how many chapters I can post today. **

**Thanks to RECH2O for reviewing.**

Cleo sipped her juice while her friends talked around her. Her mobile vibrated from her pocket. She took it out and read the caller I.D. It was Lewis! "I'll be right back," she said. "Lewis is calling!" She darted out of the café before listening to any responses. Cleo pressed the green "talk" button and put her phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Cleo," said Lewis from the other end of the line. "You doing okay? The secret's not exposed, is it?"

"No," Cleo laughed. "I'm fine and it's only been two days. The secret is still safe. No tails in public."

"Good." Lewis sounded relieved. His biggest fear was the girls—especially Cleo—being found in mermaid form in public then turned into experiments. He'd been having reoccurring dreams of Cleo being in public…

"Oh, Lewis, you'll never guess this!" Cleo said, pulling Lewis from his thoughts.

"What?" Lewis asked, asking for a repeat of what she said rather than what happened.

"Emma's back!"

"That's great! Listen, Cleo, I have to go. I love you. Talk to you soon."

"Bye, Lewis, love you, too.

Charlotte walked up the path. She came to the place where the JuiceNet Café used to be. Now the sign said this place was called Rikki's. Charlotte looked to her left and saw and old enemy: Cleo. She saw that Cleo was talking on the phone. She knew instantly with whom after a few seconds of eavesdropping.

"Bye, Lewis, love you, too," said Cleo. Anger flared in Charlotte. _She's still dating him?_ Charlotte thought, marching into the café before she was seen by Cleo. Knowing she wouldn't be able to win Lewis over, she began thinking of a way to get revenge on Cleo. Didn't she work at the marine park?

Cleo walked back in the café and rejoined her friends. She noticed someone familiar sitting in the opposite corner. She nudged Emma's side. "Look who it is," she whispered, afraid of Charlotte overhearing her even if they were on opposite sides of the room.

"Where?" Emma asked.

"Over there." Cleo nodded her head in the direction of Charlotte, who was reading a menu.

"_Oh._"

The two quickly looked away when Charlotte saw them. The resumed their staring when she became occupied with ordering her meal.

"What are you looking at?" asked Rikki from the opposite side of Emma.

"It's Charlotte. She's back," Cleo replied.

"No way…"

"Yes, way," said Emma. "She's sitting right over there!"

"What's she doing back?"

"Who's back?" asked Bella.

"Charlotte," said Emma and Rikki in unison.

"Who?" Bella asked, confused. Cleo helpfully explained who Charlotte was and what she did.

Cleo's phone rang, signaling she had a text message. It was from her sister, Kim.

_dad said u hav to come home_, said the text message.

_Ok_, replied Cleo.

"I gotta get home, guys," said Cleo, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Maybe we could meet at the Moon Pool later this evening?"

"Sure," said Bella.

"Bye!"

"Dad! I'm home!" Cleo called, walking in the door. She walked to the living room where her dad, Sam, and Kim were sitting. "What is it?"

"Sit down, Cleo," said Mr. Sertori. Cleo did as commanded. Once she was settled, Don continued. "Sam and I were thinking about having a honeymoon. It would be more of a vacation, though, if you guys would like to come."

"Where are we going?" Kim asked, excited.

"A water park. The Gilberts told us about the place and how much fun they had there every year. It wouldn't be romantic, I know, Sam, but it will be fun for all of us."

"If we're going there, I'm not coming," Cleo said automatically. "Maybe if we went someplace…dry?"

Kim groaned in frustration. "Cleo, you ruin _everything_! I really wanted to go there! Now Dad's going to make us go someplace else, someplace _boring_." In anger, Kim threw her cup of water on Cleo.

_10…9…_ Cleo sat there in shock. _8…7…Upstairs_, she thought. 6…5… Cleo darted out of her chair and raced up the steps. _4…3…2..._ She made it to the hall bathroom. _1…_ Cleo fell onto the floor. She jammed her wrist trying to catch herself. _The door's still open!_ She thought. The end of her tail was still out in the hall. If she could move just into the room just a bit further…

"_Cleo?_" Don Sertori gasped, staring at his daughter's orange tail.


	3. Told

Sam went upstairs to see the problem. She gasped as she saw Cleo lying on her stomach in the middle of the bathroom floor.

"Sam," said Cleo's dad, "call an ambulance."

"No!" Cleo shouted. She turned onto her back and sat up. "No, you don't need to call an ambulance. I'm fine."

"B-but…_this_." He gestured towards her tail.

"Is nothing. I've had it for two years."

Don was speechless. Kim joined them now.

"I _knew_ it! I _knew_ she was a fish!" Kim shouted.

"Kim, stop it!" Mr. Sertori scolded. He turned back to Cleo. "Wh-what do I do?"

"Get me dry," Cleo replied.

Once Cleo was dry and had her legs back, the family returned to the living room.

"Explain. Now."

Cleo sighed. She crossed her legs under her before she began speaking. She told her family the need-to-facts about her being a mermaid. She didn't tell them about Rikki, Emma, and Bella.

"S-so that's why y-you've been acting strange?" Don stuttered. Cleo nodded.

"Show me your power!" Kim demanded.

Cleo spotted Sam's neglected drink on the table. She held her hand out and began twisting it, willing the water to grow. A tower of water rose and almost touched the ceiling. "I don't know where the extra water comes from—it just grows and grows," Cleo added. She made the water shrink back to its normal size. "I can also do this." She twisted her hand again and wind blew through the room. Cleo stopped moving her hand and the wind stopped instantly. Now Cleo became serious. "You. Can't. Tell. _Anyone_," she said clearly, stressing each word. She looked at Kim.

"What? Why are you looking at _me_?" she asked.

"If anyone finds out about this, goodbye to me, I'll be dissected!"

"She's right, Kim, nobody can know. If you tell a _single soul_ you'll be grounded for six months and I'll take your mobile away permanently," said Mr. Sertori.

"I have to go," Cleo said. "I'll be back for dinner."

Cleo dug her mobile out of her pocket. She sent three words to her three best friends: _moon pool. now._

She instantly got a text from Emma. _I'll meet you there._

Not long after that, she received a reply from Rikki. _y?_ In response, she sent, _its urgent_

Next she got Bella's. _ok_

_~ (A few minutes later, Moon Pool) ~_

"So, what's so urgent?" asked Rikki.

"My family knows I'm a mermaid." Gasps came from all around. "Kim poured water on me and I couldn't make it upstairs in time. They saw me and I had to tell them."

"You didn't have to tell them. You could have lied."

"And said what? That I changed into a costume in under three seconds? There was no other option. And I'm actually kind of relieved that I don't have to keep it from them anymore."

"Do they know about us?" Emma asked.

"No, I didn't tell them _everything_. Just some of it. I left you guys out of it."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. It was bad enough that they knew Cleo was a mermaid, but for them to know that _all_ of them were…

_~ (Charlotte's house) ~_

Charlotte pointed her hand at the glass of water, hoping it would move, freeze, boil, do _something._ But nothing worked. She had lost her powers for good, but Charlotte wouldn't give up. She had a feeling that she didn't lose all of her powers. Charlotte tried again. The water shook within the glass. She smiled and tried again. The water didn't shake, but when she felt the water, it was cold. Charlotte tried one last time; she was getting exhausted. Charlotte pointed her hand at the water and it became warm.

**Coming up:**

_How will the Sertoris act around Cleo now that they know she's a mermaid?_

_Are Charlotte's powers really back or is it just her imagination?_


	4. Practicing

**Hey guys! I don't have much to stay, though, just R&R.**

**Oh, just in case it was obvious, I DO NOT OWN! **_**H**__**2**__**O **_**belongs whoever it belongs to. Nick? Disney? Ten?**__

**Thanks to chinaluv, 1242, Koo Koo Ka-Chew, Danni99981, EpicFantasyStory, and mermaidmiss4857 for reviewing! And thanks to those to alerted and/or favorited. **

"Why can't I—_do_—this?" Charlotte muttered to herself. The water she was practicing on wouldn't move, wouldn't freeze, wouldn't boil. She couldn't create wind, couldn't make lightning, couldn't make snow. She couldn't do anything. So what was with yesterday? Her powers were working then. Charlotte wiped away the sweat that was beading on her forehead.

There was a knock on the door. "Charlotte," said Charlotte's mother. "I'm leaving to go to the store. Do you need anything?"

"No, Mum. I'm good." Charlotte heard her mother walk down the hall. She returned to the work at hand.

She waved her hand in front of the glass of water. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. A drop of water picked itself up and floated above the water. Then it dropped, creating ripples on the surface. She felt a flow of energy spread through her body quickly. It started in her chest and flowed upward to her head; it raced down her arms, pooling in her fingertips; the energy went down her legs towards her toes. It felt like the wave of water pouring into the stream after being unblocked, like a dam being unleashed. Instantly, Charlotte knew her powers were back.

Locking her door incase her mother returned home early, Charlotte sat on her bed and poured water on herself. She closed her eyes and counted down the seconds. _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1._ Slowly, as if she were afraid of what she might find, Charlotte opened her eyes. She looked down at her legs which were…

Still legs.

Charlotte cried out her frustration. She had her powers, but _no tail_! What was with that? Using Rikki's power, she dried herself off. She walked away from the cloud of steam that engulfed her.

Angrily, she slammed her hands down on the table. Any and all the sources of water around her either splashed everywhere, became frozen, or boiled. Wind blew around in her tiny bedroom, knocking over lamps or pictures. Outside, lightning flashed and it began to rain.

_Just be grateful you at least have _those_ powers back_, a voice in Charlotte's head chimed in. _You could just be an ordinary girl. _

_There's a full moon tomorrow night…_ Charlotte remembered. _Will its magic work a second time? Can I be a mermaid again?_

**~ (**_**Meanwhile, Cleo's room) ~**_

"I have a bad feeling about the full moon tomorrow night," said Emma while the others groaned.

"I forgot it was full moon time again…," Cleo said.

"Whose house will we be at tomorrow?" Rikki asked.

"We can stay here, at mine since, you know, my family knows…about…this." It was awkward in her house since the Sertoris discovered the secret. Kim was afraid of Cleo because Cleo had "accidentally" sprayed Kim with water when she got mad at Kim. But then again, Kim would sometimes seem fascinated by Cleo's powers. Mr. Sertori was worried that Cleo's tail would form randomly and he was overprotective of her around water, trying desperately for her not to get wet at all.

"So it's settled."

"I'll bring over some supplies," Bella said, "like games and things to do while we're locked up. Maybe I can find some black-out curtains…I think my grandmother has some."

"Cleo! Kim! Dinner!" Sam called.

The four walked down the steps and to the front door. "So, see you tomorrow?" Cleo asked. The others nodded while they walked out of the house. She shut the door behind them.

**Hey, guys! Sorry it's short, but I'm on vacation! I tried to reply to some of the reviews I got, but FF wouldn't let me. Strange. I'll try again later. (**_**Later**_**) Hey, it worked! Sorry if I didn't respond to your review, or if I replied twice.**


	5. Full Moon

**Hey, guys! Welcome back! (And, yes, still on vacation and will be until Saturday.) R&R, please!**

**Thanks to Koo Koo Ka-Chew, princesscleo123, mermaidmiss4857, and RECH2O for reviewing!**

Without knocking, Rikki barged into the Sertori household. "Hello, everyone! Full moon time, here we come!"

"Hi, Rikki," Cleo sighed from her place on the couch.

"What's the matter, Cleo?" Rikki asked, still upbeat.

"I still have a bad feeling about this and it's gotten _worse._"

"We have _nothing_ to worry about." Rikki marched upstairs to put her stuff in Cleo's room. A few minutes later, Rikki was settled on the recliner in the living room. The door bell rang. Cleo went to answer it.

"Hey, Cleo," said Bella, walking into the house. Emma followed behind her. Everyone gathered in the living room, including Don and Sam.

"So we're all here," said Cleo, "let's get everything ready for tonight. We've got approximately…" She checked the wall clock and counted in her head. "…forty-three minutes until moon time."

Spreading out to all corners of the house, the six covered all the windows. They made the house totally moon-proof.

"Five minutes 'til moon time!" Bella called as everyone raced to make sure no light could get through.

"Okay, so, Dad," said Cleo. "We'll be up in my room."

_**~ (Land entrance to the Moon Pool) ~**_

Charlotte walked up the natural steps that would lead her to the Moon Pool. She walked around the corner and reached her destination. The Moon Pool's light made Charlotte appear to glow blue. She could sense the magic resting in this place.

Charlotte walked around the Pool's edge, waiting for the moon to line up with the top of the volcano. Several minutes later, the water started to bubble as if it were a Jacuzzi. Charlotte took a deep breath and jumped in. When she resurfaced, she saw the water rise in droplets towards the sky. It was an amazing sight to see.

_**~ (In the morning, Cleo's house) ~**_

The four girls arose around the same time.

"See, Cleo," Rikki yawned. "Nothing happened." She rubbed sleep from her eyes. "No one got moonstruck."

Cleo stretched. "I guess you're right," she said. She climbed out of her bed. "Let's go get breakfast. I'm starving."

"Me, too," said Bella.

"Well, look who's up!" Don said as they walked down the stairs.

"Morning, Mr. Sertori," said Bella, Rikki, and Emma as Cleo said, "Morning, Dad."

"For breakfast, we have cereal, I made eggs, bacon…anything you see here, you can have."

"Oh, yum!" said Rikki, grabbing a plate and sitting at the table. She piled her plate with some of everything on the table. "I _love_ scrambled eggs!"

_**~ (Charlotte's house) ~**_

Charlotte sat in her bathtub full of water. She still wasn't a mermaid. But then she got an idea. She ducked her head under the water so that she was completely submerged. She counted to ten and…

**Cliffhanger! (Does anyone remember that show **_**Between the Lions**_** that we watched when we were kids? It had "The Adventures of Cliff Hanger." Then the people in a helicopter would sing, "Cliff Hanger! Hanging from a cliff and that's why he's called Cliff Hanger!" Huh? Huh? Do you remember or am I just crazy? I know I'm crazy. And right now, sleep deprived. I go to bed late and the little munchkins here are waking me up early. I'll stop rambling.)**

**So, ANYWAY! Review!**


	6. To Be Or Not To Be

**Hey, ya'll! Not on vacation anymore. The next (planned) vacation is the first week of August and I'm going to the beach! PS I won't shorthand texts anymore. Just imagine that they are.**

Cleo's mobile bleeped, signaling she received a text message.

"Who's it from?" Emma asked.

"It's from Charlotte, I think," Cleo responded, opening the text. _Guess what, Cleo_, it said. _I'm back; I'm a mermaid._

Cleo dropped her phone.

"What is it?" Rikki asked. She picked up Cleo's phone and read the message. "Emma, you might want to see this."

"Okay." She read the message and her eyes grew wide with every word. "Oh."

Finally Bella read the message. "Isn't that that one girl you guys hated last year?" Cleo nodded. "So what're we supposed to do about it?"

"I'll call Lewis," said Cleo. Bella handed her her mobile. "Is it too late to call to call him...where he's at, at least?"

"It doesn't matter," said Rikki. "Just call him. This is important."

Cleo dialed Lewis's number. On the first try, she reached voice mail. She hung up and tried again, trying to get him to wake up. After a few more tries, Lewis finally answered.

"Hello?" Lewis said groggily.

"Hey, Lewis."

"Cleo, you know it's one a.m. here?"

"I'm sorry, but it's important."

"What happened?"

Cleo paused. "Charlotte is a mermaid. Again."

"That's impossible." He didn't sound sleepy anymore.

"Well, it's true."

"Just be careful around her, Cleo. All of you guys."

"We will, Lewis. Love you. Next time, I'll try to call you when you're awake.

"That's good. Love you, too. Bye, Cleo."

Bella, Rikki, Cleo, and Emma walked down the shore. The beach was crowded since it was a really warm, clear day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Look who it is," said Rikki. She pointed a few meters ahead at Charlotte, who was sunbathing.

"Maybe she was lying about being a mermaid again," said Bella. "She wouldn't be _that_ close to the water if she was, would she?"

"Wanna find out?" asked Cleo. She extended her arm and pulled the tide in closer to Charlotte, who must've been asleep because she didn't do a thing. After a few seconds of working (this had to look natural), the water touched Charlotte's toes. She didn't grow a tail. The four quickly walked away.

"That was dangerous," said Emma. "If she _was_ a mermaid and she grew a tail out there, she would be a science experiment."

"So?" Rikki asked.

"Then she could tell them about us!"

"You're over-worrying."

"Before we go to the marine park, can we go to the marina? I have to get something from my dad's boat before I forget to," said Cleo.

"Yeah, sure," said Rikki.

"No problem," said Bella.

They reached the marina in ten minutes. Cleo went inside to get the papers her dad left behind. She put them in her bag and rejoined her friends, who were waiting outside.

Today, the marina was crowded (as was many other outdoor places), since there was a storm predicted for the next two days. Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Bella started talking and walking to the marine park, but they didn't know that Charlotte was a little way down the boardwalk. She moved her hand and clouds formed overhead. It began to rain.

"Is…is it raining?" Emma asked.

Bella stared at a drop of water on her arm. "It _is_! Get into the water!"

The four barely had time to disappear under the water before their tails appeared. They swam to Mako Island.

"It was Charlotte," said Cleo. Her head was the last to pop out of the water. "I saw her. Maybe she is a mermaid."

"It was just the storm coming in early," said Emma.

"Well, whether it was or not we still have to figure this out," said Rikki. "A mermaid or not, that is the question."

Emma rolled her eyes. "It's 'To be or not to be,' Rikki."


	7. What's Going On?

"Are you guys going to be at my show this afternoon?" Cleo asked her friends. She was met with a chorus of "definitely"s and "we'll be there"s. "Great," Cleo said. She gathered her things and headed to the marine park. She got dressed and placed the microphone on her head. People were starting to fill into the bleachers. Everyone took their place.

The show went well…until halfway through it. As Cleo turned to face the dolphins flip up into the air, she felt water creep up her legs. Before she knew it, she was a mermaid. Bella, Rikki, and Emma stood up. Rikki created steam to hide the transformation. The steam dispersed and Cleo sat on the water's edge in shock, staring at her tail. The crowd was amazed. Nobody said a word. Laurie was the first to recover.

"Nice magic trick, Cleo!" he said. The audience was slow to clap, but eventually the stands shook with their cheers. Cleo faked a smile and hoped it looked genuine. She looked over at the audience and saw Charlotte smirking. She turned and walked down the steps. Cleo was blinded by camera flashes.

Soon, the show wrapped up and Laurie jogged to where Cleo was sitting. Emma, Rikki, Bella, and Will jumped from the bleachers and joined their friend, careful to stay away from the water as much as they could.

"What's going on?" Laurie demanded, looking each of the girls and Will in turn. When nobody piped up, he asked again.

Cleo motioned for the others to kneel beside of her. Cleo rolled over on her stomach and pulled herself out of the water so that Bella, Emma, and Rikki wouldn't get wet. "We _have_ to tell him," Cleo whispered.

"We've told enough people already," Rikki argued. "We might as well tell the whole world out secret!"

"How could something like this happen and then not be able to explain it to her boss?" Bella whispered back.

"Bella's right," Emma agreed.

"How about we just get her dried off and think of a plan later?" Will asked.

Rikki held her hand out, ready to steam-dry Cleo, but Emma smacked it away. "Not here!" she said.

"There's a storage closet not far from here," Cleo stated. "We could go there."

Will picked up Cleo and they all walked to the closet that Cleo had mentioned. Setting her down, Will said, "You're heavy."

Cleo just nodded. Rikki held out her hand again and steam began to fill the room. A few seconds later, Cleo had her legs back; Bella helped her to her feet. "What're we going to tell Laurie?" Cleo asked, fiddling with her fingers.

"A magic trick, like he said?" Rikki offered.

"The costume idea doesn't always work, Rikki."

"We'd have to tell him the truth," Emma said plainly. "Maybe not the whole truth, but just part of it, like you told your family."

Everyone thought for a moment. "If it's the only plan we've got, let's go with it," said Rikki. "There's no point in staying in here the rest of the day."

"Alright," said Cleo. She opened the door that led to the outside world. She sat down and patted the seat beside of her, wanting Laurie to sit down. "This is kind of a lot to swallow…" She began. Cleo told Laurie the tale of the mermaids. The others filled in details or covered for her if she accidentally started to tell the whole truth. Laurie didn't say anything during or after the story. Cleo bit her lip, waiting for him to speak.

"So, you're telling me that you're a mer…_mermaid_," he finally said. He thought for a moment. "Word about this is going to get out soon. Your 'magic trick' went unadvertised. This can't be a one-time thing."

Cleo sighed. "I kinda figured that…"

"I'll get you a raise if you do a-a, um, mermaid show?" he offered.

"She can't," Rikki said quickly. "Too close to the secret getting out."

"I don't have a choice, do I? Mrs. Getty will hear about this eventually and what will we do then?" Cleo said. "Right now we can tell her that this was a trial thing and hopefully she won't be _that_ angry for doing this without her notice."

"Speak of the devil," said Bella. She saw Mrs. Getty walking towards them. Her expression was unreadable.

"What's going on? I've had countless people come up to me saying they loved the mermaid during the dolphin show! _What_ mermaid?"

"It was something we were experimenting on," said Laurie. "We thought a mermaid might bring us more popularity and, obviously, it worked!"

Defying everyone's expectations, Mrs. Getty didn't say anything except, "Keep it up. I'll have someone make flyers tonight and you can have your 'mermaid show.' It starts next week." She turned on her heel and walked away, clipboard in her hands.

_**(Next week, marine park) ~**_

Making sure no one was looking, Cleo dove into the pool. She swam down to the window where visitors could see into the tank. There was a small crowd sitting there (on the other side of the window, of course) waiting for the show to begin. Once positioned in the middle of the window, Cleo waved at the little girls sitting on their parents' laps. There were some boys there, too, but they didn't seem to be nearly as interested in this as the girls. But some of them were. Cleo did a back flip in the water and other tricks she had planned. By the end of the show, the audience was quite entertained. After that, Cleo was to sit in the middle of the park in mermaid form for people to get pictures with her. Then after that, she still had to do the dolphin show. It was a _long_ day. But she did get the raise Laurie had mentioned.

Cleo walked through her front door at exactly eight-thirty that night. Her family had already eaten, so she grabbed a snack and a juice. She read a book for a little while and then, exhausted, fell quickly asleep.

_**(Charlotte's bedroom) ~**_

Charlotte huffed, clutching the flyer she received of the "Gold Coast Mermaid." Her plans were always failing. She couldn't the girls' secrets exposed! She thought harder. The only way to get them would have to be in the Moon Pool. That was it. This would be fool-proof. She grabbed the phone on her bedside table and dialed the local news crew. It would be tricky persuading them, but she would somehow get them there. She had to.

"Hi, um, yes," said Charlotte said after the news station answered. "I have your newest top story." They discussed the details for a few minutes. "So you'll meet me in a week from Tuesday? At four o'clock? Thank you." Charlotte smiled evilly.

_**~ (With Cleo, Emma, Rikki, & Bella, halfway between the Moon Pool and the mainland) **_

The girls had decided to take a break on their swim to the Moon Pool. They watch the colorful fish swim and played a game of tag amongst the coral. Emma noticed something move beside of her. She looked over to catch the end of a large white tail. Emma followed it. The tail was long and there was a dorsal fin running along the length of it. Pale arms extended where the tail began. It was a normal arm, followed by a regular looking hand, but the fingers were webbed. There was a familiar mass of red hair at the top of the body. When the hair moved away from the neck, Emma thought she saw something that looked like…_gills_. The strange-looking mermaid swam to where Emma's three friends were. By their shocked expressions, Emma's suspicions on the mermaid's identity were confirmed. It was Charlotte. _But I thought she wasn't a mermaid…_ Emma thought. _On the beach…This doesn't make any sense._ Rikki motioned for everyone to surface, so they could talk.

Charlotte was the last to come out of the water. The instant her entire neck came out the water, her tail disappeared and her legs reappeared. She was having a hard time treading the water.

"Explain," Rikki demanded.

"Well, if you step into the Moon Pool during a full moon at the time it lines up with the top of the volcano, you're a mermaid," Charlotte explained as if talking to young kids.

"Why?"

"It's magic. I don't know _why_ it happens, it just does. I thought you knew that already." Charlotte slipped under the water accidentally. Her tail reformed for a second, but then legs took its place when Charlotte started to tread again.

"I meant, why did you go back a second time? How did you know that you'd be a mermaid a second time?"

"My powers started to come back. Why am I explaining this? I just wanted you to see that I _was_ a mermaid." Charlotte turned and dove into the water. She swam away quickly, leaving the other four girls to eat her bubbles.

**I didn't know what to have Cleo do for the mermaid show. The only mermaid show I went to was the Wiki Watchee (I think that's how it's spelled) show in Florida when I was eight. And there weren't enough mermaids for her to that. (They performed **_**The Little Mermaid**_** in the water! Lol.) If have an idea for a mermaid show, let me know.**

**(P.S. The "eat her bubbles" thing came from my sister's swim team. Instead of "eat my dust" they write "eat my bubbles" on them instead.)**

**Review!**


	8. Smoothie

**I forgot to do this earlier. Thanks to chinaluv, zikki4ever123, carrieabc123, mermaidmiss4857, Only Crocodile Tears, RadicalT0aster, alpha of denali wolf pack, and H2OGirl101 for reviewing (that was for reviewing chapter 6, chapter 7, or both). Thanks if you favorited/alerted, also!**

**And I forget to do this, too: I. Do. **_**Not**_**. Own. **_**H2O: Just add Water**_**. It belongs…well, I don't know who it belongs to, but definitely not to me! (Just keep this in mind, and it'll make things so much easier.)**

**On to the story!(:**

Cleo sat on a rock, her tail splashing the water ever so often. She was brushing her hair. It felt strange having everyone watching her in her mermaid form, but she fought the urge to go hide in the water. She was doing this for the marine park, after all. Once she thought everyone was settled in their seats, she dove into the water, making a big show of her tail. She reappeared a few seconds later, lying on the ground, half in the water. Everyone directed their attention to where she laid.

"Hey, there!" she said with faux cheerfulness. "Are you ready for a story?" She took a deep breath. "Once upon a time…"

_**~ (Moon Pool) ~**_

"I can't believe they made you do that," Rikki said shortly after her friends took their place in the Moon Pool. "The story-telling? Honestly, they couldn't have made you do anything cheesier."

"I know, it's awful," said Cleo. "I hope this doesn't go on forever."

"They'll end it sometime. It'll start to get old," stated Emma.

"I hope so."

They rested there for a while, staring up at the clouds through the top of the volcano. Their reverie was shattered by a bright camera flash. They looked over at the land entrance to the Moon Pool. There stood Charlotte, looking smug. She was flanked by a guy with a camera and another that had a video camera. The girls in the water looked at each other briefly. Without a word, they quickly went under the water and swam out of the tunnel. When they saw a diver, with a camera of his own, they swam away even faster.

_**~ (two days later) ~**_

"Check this out," said Rikki. She slammed the newspaper down on Cleo's dining room table. They had planned to meet there. There was a collective gasp as they saw the giant picture on the front page. It was of them…swimming out of the Moon Pool.

Emma took the newspaper and read it out loud. "'_On Monday, July 6, four mermaids were seen in a small pool inside the volcano on Mako Island_,'" she read. "'_We had to chance to speak to the eye-witness, Charlotte Watsford. 'I had been seeing stuff out there for weeks, but I couldn't tell what it was,' she tells us. 'I accidentally discovered their head quarters and I thought I had to bring attention to this new species of fish. It's a scientific discovery!' For more information on the subject, including videos, visit .com._'"

There was silence as they let this sink in.

"Let's check out that website," suggested Bella. Cleo stood up from her chair, set her cereal bowl in the sink, and led everyone to office, where the computer was. It took a few minutes to start up. Once ready, Cleo typed in the web address. Right there, front and center, was the same picture. Below it was the same article as in the newspaper and a link to the video. Cleo clicked the link. She checked to make sure the volume was up before clicking play.

The video wasn't much. It was just them, shocked, before turning and swimming away. Then it faded in to them swimming out of the tunnel. Hardly three minutes long, but it clearly showed their faces and the fact that they had _tails_.

"This is really bad," Cleo said. "I mean, _really_ bad. I'm going to quit the mermaid thing at the marine park. I'm calling Laurie." Cleo eventually convinced Laurie to let her resign.

"I can't believe this," Bella sighed, plopping down in a chair.

"Uh, Cleo…" Mr. Sertori called from the living room. "Come here a moment."

Cleo followed her dad's voice and saw him staring at the TV. She directed her attention to the screen. "…you believe it or not, mermaids have been spotted. But could any of this have anything to do with the marine park's latest attraction?" the newscaster asked. On the screen, a picture popped up of Cleo in mermaid form while she was telling a story at the marine park. The underwater picture of the four girls zoomed in to Cleo. "Tell us what you think on our Facebook page."

Mr. Sertori turned toward his daughter. "What happened?" he continued.

"We were just at the Moon Pool and Charlotte came with camera men and we had no idea they were there…," Cleo explained. Don wrapped his arms around Cleo.

"Please be careful," he whispered.

"I will, Dad. We're going up to my room now." Cleo tried to break free of her dad's embrace, but he wouldn't let go. "Dad!" Cleo laughed. Don finally let go and Cleo stumbled backwards. "We'll be upstairs!"

_**~ (At the park) ~**_

Kim sat on one of the benches, texting her friends. Somebody sat down beside of her. "Kim," the person said.

"Yeah?" Kim replied, finishing up the text she was sending. She looked over at the person. "Charlotte, right?"

"That's me." She paused. "So, _you_ know your sister's a mermaid"—Kim started to speak, but Charlotte continued to talk—"and _I_ know your sister's a mermaid. So how would you like to expose her secret further? You know Cleo's on the front page of the newspapers, right?"

"She is?" Kim asked. Charlotte dug around in her bag and pulled out the newspaper. She handed it over to Kim.

"Caught as a mermaid," Charlotte said, smiling. "Her friends, too. But there will be a _lot_ of people who won't believe this, so we need better proof. Here's the plan…"

_**~ (Rikki's café, three days later) ~**_

"I know you don't like it here, Rikki, but I need a quick drink," said Bella. "I'll get it to go and then we'll be on our way. Is Zane even here today?"

Rikki mumbled to herself, but followed her friends inside. The café was packed. "Happy Birthday!" balloons crowded the ceiling.

"Who's birthday?" Emma asked.

"Mine," said a familiar voice to their right—Charlotte.

"Well, happy, um, birthday," said Cleo. Then to her friends, "C'mon, let's go." She led them to the counter and Bella ordered her drink. A few minutes later, Bella paid for her drink and they were getting ready to leave. They only managed to make it to the door.

When Charlotte dumped her smoothie on Cleo's head.

**Cliffee!**

**I felt like Rita Skeeter (**_**Harry Potter, **_**anyone? I'm obsessed with it) when I was writing the newspaper article. I'm not a journalist, so don't hate me over the article.**

**Expect the next update around the 21****st****, but maybe sooner. I have to write two chapters for my **_**Titanic**_** story, and then I'll be back to this one! **

**Review!**


	9. No Escape

**Sorry I haven't updated in **_**forever**_**. I would go on and on with excuses, but one of them is me writing a book. As in an actual book. That will be published. Like **_**Harry Potter. **_**Or **_**Maximum Ride**_**. Or **_**Twilight.**_** Like those.**

**Thanks to: Sammy-Spit-Fire, H2OGirl101, OXPrimrosexAngelXO, ElenaxoxoSilber, Danni99981, Only Crocodile Tears, carrieabc123, EpicFanastyStories, alpha of denali wolf pack, and chinaluv. **

All the exits were blocked. There was no escape route. Cleo tried darting out of the building, out the front door, but couldn't because two guys prevented her from exiting the café. Cleo had nowhere to go. Several seconds later, she flopped on the ground, her hands stinging as she tried to catch herself. She heard a similar _thud _to her right and looked over in that direction. Emma was beside of her, a tail also replacing her legs. Obviously, she had gotten splashed.

There were gasps from all around. Almost everyone had cameras; some people even caught the transformations. Everyone started whispering to each other as the shock started to wear off. The sound of a door flinging open was loud in the quiet room. The source of the sound was Zane. He _was_ at work today. He looked at everyone lined up around the walls of the building then glanced down at the two lying on the floor. "Everyone out!" he said loudly, motioning in the general direction of the doorway. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the guests of the "birthday party" filed out of the café, still talking softly with each other about the previous events. After the last person left, Zane, Rikki, and Bella shut the doors and pulled the curtains down. Then they circled Emma and Cleo.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked, helping Emma sit up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," muttered Cleo, but her cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment and she looked on the verge of tears.

"Me, too," said Emma.

"What's going on?" hollered a voice from the office—Sophie's voice.

"Uh—nothing!" Zane yelled back. "It's okay. Stay where you are!" But the curious Sophie did not listen. She walked around the corner to see two mermaids with Rikki in the process of drying them off.

"What's…going…_on_?" Sophie repeated. The five on the ground glanced at each other, unsure of what to do next.

"Cleo!" Lewis yelled as soon as Cleo answered her mobile. "Cleo, are you alright? I saw online"—he lowered his voice—"of you being a _mermaid_." He talked normally now. "As soon as I saw it I had to ch—"

"Lewis, I'm fine," Cleo interrupted. "We all are. Nobody has come up to us with needles or anything…" _Yet_, her mind finished for her.

"Good. I'm just really worried; especially since I can't be there with you."

"We're looking out for each other—we'll be okay."

"I love you, Cleo."

That night, there was a knock on Lewis's door. He got up to answer it, knowing his roommate would be oblivious to it. Lewis wasn't expecting anyone, but he was surprised at the person standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Lewis," said Dr. Denman.

_**~ (Two weeks later) ~**_

"Whose boat is that?" asked Rikki, sitting up on the shore of Mako Island. Instead of meeting at the Moon Pool, they decided to sit in the surf, wanting to soak up some sun. They were still uncomfortable hanging out at the beach.

"I don't know," said Bella, sitting up, the others joining her.

"I think I know whose it is," said Emma.

"That isn't…," began Cleo.

"It is."

"Dr. Denman," said Rikki.

"Who's that?" Bella asked.

"A psychopath biologist who you _really_ want to avoid, especially a few certain mermaids."

Cleo made the tide swallow them into the ocean, not wanting to be seen by the people on the boat.

_**~ (Cleo's room) ~**_

"What is she doing back?" asked Rikki.

"I don't know," said Cleo, pacing in front of her bed, mobile pressed against her ear. "Lewis isn't answering his mobile…"

"He's probably busy," said Emma. "Don't worry." She turned to Rikki and answered her question. "Maybe she's just doing some more 'fish population counts,' but to be on the safe side, no Mako."

Reaching Lewis's voicemail for the seventh time, Cleo hung up and set her mobile on the bedside table. She sat on the bed between Bella and Rikki.

There was silence for a few minutes until Bella spoke up. "I won some free tickets to a movie a while ago. Do you guys want to go? We could get our minds off of the Denman thing."

Rikki shrugged. "Why not? A night on the town might be fun." Emma and Cleo said their agreements also.

Twenty minutes later, after they looked up movie times, they were off, planning on having a good time, not knowing they wouldn't be returning home that night.

_**~ (After the movie) ~**_

The four girls stepped out of the theater, laughing over the cheesy, low-budget movie they had just watched. They headed for their favorite restaurant, not noticing the dark figures hiding out in the shadows several meters ahead. They passed the black-clad people standing under the overhang of a closed shop. Soon, each girl was met with a sharp pain in their arm, as if getting poked with a needle. But then everything was black…

Rikki was the first to wake up. She couldn't tell where she was. The room was gently rocking side to side, indicating they were on a boat. There was no furniture in the room and the only people inside was Emma, Cleo, Bella, and herself. There was a door across the room. Rikki moved her hands. They were tied behind her back and numb; she had been in this position for a while now.

"Emma, wake up," Rikki said softly, nudging Emma's leg with her own. "Emma!" Emma moved her head to the other side and slowly opened her eyes.

"Where are we?" she asked, now fully awake. "What happened?"

"We were walking out from the movie…we got half way down the block…and that's all I remember."

Emma turned her attention to her other friends which were sitting next to her. When awake, they asked similar questions and received similar answers.

Rikki scooted closer to Emma. "Can you try to untie me?" she asked.

"I'll try," Emma responded. They sat back to back, Emma's fingers working at the knots until they were sore. "I can't," Emma sighed sometime later. Rikki then tried untying Emma, but it was no use. Cleo and Bella both tried, also, but nothing worked.

As they slumped on the ground in defeat, a certain blonde doctor walked in. "Hello, girls," said Dr. Denman. "I see you're awake."

**So this chapter jumps around a bit, but oh well. Hoped you liked it…even if it was a little (okay, a lot) late. **

**Review!**

**Oh, and I'll have the next chapter tomorrow. This I **_**can**_** promise. I'm almost done with it. I just couldn't finish it because my computer is getting ready to kick me off.  
>(Stupid parental controls.)<strong>


	10. You Did This

**Oh my gosh, guys—I think this story's almost over. I don't know how many chapters are left, though. I didn't think this story would be **_**this**_** short, but it is. Sigh…But double digit chapters now! R&R?**

"What do you want?" Emma demanded.

"You guys are valuable experiments. I could make millions off you," replied Dr. Denman. Then her eyes rested on Bella. "You're new. Are you also a mermaid?"

Risking a glance at her friends, Bella was late on her reply. "A _mermaid_? You can't be serious."

"We'll be docking later this evening," Dr. Denman said simply before turning and exiting, locking the door behind her.

A few hours later, they arrived on land and the girls were forced into a research facility and then into a large tank of water. A top was put over the tank so the girls wouldn't be able to get out. They were soon hit with the biggest surprise of the day.

Cleo, Rikki, Emma, and Bella sat on the bottom of the tank giving death glares to Dr. Denman and her minions when Lewis walked in. The girls swam up to the side of the tank, hurt in their eyes. Lewis could barely look at them, especially Cleo. Each expression seemed to scream, "_How could you, Lewis? We trusted you!_" Bella, Emma, and Rikki swam to the other side of the tank, but Cleo stayed there, not really believing what she was seeing. Lewis wanted to tell them his plan, but it couldn't, not without Dr. Denman overhearing. Reluctantly, Cleo turned to join her friends, shaking her head in disbelief.

About thirty minutes later, the girls started to run out of air. **(A/N: I would think that after a while, they could increase their time under the water with practice.) **They were pounding on the thick glass of the tank for several minutes. "Dr. Den—Linda—they need air; they can't breathe underwater," Lewis said.

Dr. Denman looked up from some papers. "Need air?" she asked. "Mermaids don't need air."

"They're not your average mermaids." Dr. Denman sighed. She signaled for one of her employees to open the tank. Immediately, the girls swam up the surface, gasping once their heads broke through the water. They hooked their arms over the side of the tank, so they didn't have to tread. They started to talk all at once, each girl shouting something like, "I can't believe you, Lewis! Why would you do this to us?" or "Let us go, Denman!"

"Be quiet, you four," Dr. Denman demanded, shutting the tank again and forcing the girls back under the water.

The next day, testing began. The girls were wheeled into separate testing rooms. They were hooked up to several machines that recorded their vitals. Blood samples were taken and scales were pulled. Lewis snuck into Cleo's room to "help." He stood beside her bed, waiting for the right time to speak to her without the Denman's Minions overhearing.

As a scale was pulled from the bottom of Cleo's tail, her hand automatically grasped Lewis's. Cleo remembered that she was supposed to be mad at her boyfriend. Her hand pulled away from the larger one. A few minutes later, the strangers in the room left to go study the material they'd received.

"Cleo, listen," Lewis began.

"Save it, Lewis. I don't—"

"_Listen._ This was the only way I could come back down here to see you guys. I knew Denman was going to come get you guys—she told me. I wouldn't be any help back in the U.S. I'm going to help you guys get out of here."

"How?"

"Somehow. I don't know yet, but I'm working on it. Give me a few days and you'll guys will be home. Trust me."

Cleo didn't know what to think. Should she trust him? But he was _helping_ Dr. Denman. He was on _her_ side, right, not theirs? So Cleo shouldn't trust Lewis, right? _I'm so confused_, she thought. _If only I could talk to Emma…she would know what to do._ But something told her Lewis wasn't lying.

"You promise? You swear you're not going to betray us…?" she trailed off, almost adding the "again."

"I _swear_ that I will do whatever it takes to free you guys." He stuck out his little finger as if the kindergarten's oh-so-important promise was still a major thing. Cleo rolled her eyes, fought a smile, and wrapped her little finger around Lewis's. They parted as somebody walked into the room. It was Dr. Denman herself.

"Ah…Cleo." She said. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," Cleo grumbled.

"Well, we already have the samples we need, but we're going to get you dried off for some physical test."

Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Bella were herded back to the main room (where the tank was) once dry. "Now," Dr. Denman began, stepping out from behind her desk, "it's time for this part of the test—a timed run. Who wants to go first?" None of the girls spoke up, but Linda acted as if one of them did. "Oh, good. Come with me, Bella." Bella reluctantly followed Dr. Denman, knowing that she couldn't exactly disobey. The remaining girls were told to sit foldable plastic chairs.

Bella lost Dr. Denman as they entered a dark room. But then the lights suddenly flared on and Bella had a blink a few times before she saw Denman and a few other scientists standing in a little room above and across the room from her. "Bella," a scientist said. His voice was a little bit staticy because he spoke through a microphone. "I want you to run around the room as fast as you can. Then we'll add a maze…" The scientist trailed off. Bella could see him discussing with the others in the room. He pressed a button—what Bella assumed operated the microphone—and began speaking again. "Ready? Start!" Bella started running. She went counter-clockwise around the room, touching each corner. She stopped when she was told to.

"Turn around, Bella," the scientist from early commanded. Bella did so. Who knows what they could've done to her if she didn't do as they said? She heard shuffling sounds—they were moving walls in for the maze. She groaned inwardly. She wasn't even good at doing mazes on paper.

Bella was in that room a long time. The three girls sat in their uncomfortable chairs, unable to talk to each other or even Lewis. He was busied by the more experienced scientists using what were probably useless tasks. One time, though, he did disappear for a while, more than fifteen minutes.

Cle was worried—was she the only one who noticed Lewis's absence? Bella returned to the main room before Lewis did. She slowly walked over to her friends; she was sweaty and looked exhausted. Emma immediately offered her seat for her, which Bella took gratefully. She desperately needed something to drink, but her captors hadn't given her anything.

Dr. Denman soon entered. "Who's next?" she called. "Ah, Emma—you volunteer yourself? Very nice. Come with me." Emma started to speak, but then realized what she'd done. By giving up her seat and now standing up, she looked like she actually _wanted_ to go. It was like some sick game of musical chairs. Emma turned to her friends and gave a—what she hoped to be—reassuring smile before walking a few paces behind the she-demon.

All four girls had completed the "test." Lewis had returned. He kept sneaking glances at the girls most of the afternoon. Cleo met those glances occasionally, mentally complaining how much she needed a shower **(or bath, whatever)**. The girls were talking now, the silence too much for them. Of course, it was small talk topics, like what colleges they had applied to.

The tense silence was soon interrupted. Police officers barged into the room, shouting for all of Denman's employees to put their hands up. The girls' families (and Will) came in next, rushing over to their respective daughter (or girlfriend).

"Cleo!" Don shouted, rushing over to the brunette girl. She hugged her dad, sister, and stepmom numbly and staring at Lewis the whole time. After being released from her family, she walked over to him.

"You did this," she said, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck, smiling.

"I did, in fact," Lewis responded, also grinning. His hands snaked their way around Cleo's waist.

"_I love you_." Slowly, Cleo tilted her head towards Lewis. Their lips met and they gently kissed, relieved at not having anything to worry about…for the time being.

**How was that? Good, bad, awful? I didn't like it, especially the ending, but at least you didn't have to wait long for this one. **

**Review!**


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